Ald. Edward Burke, who for 50 years has represented Chicago’s Southwest Side 14th Ward, has been charged with attempted extortion on allegations he used his position as alderman to corruptly solicit business for his private law firm, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

• Federal investigators based the charge on “lawfully recorded conversations,” including listening in on Burke’s cellphone conversations.

• The complaint accuses Burke in 2017 of hassling an unnamed fast-food company (referred to as Company A) that was seeking permits to remodel a restaurant in his ward. Burke allegedly withheld support of the company’s remodeling efforts in exchange for business to his property tax appeal law firm, Klafter & Burke.

• Burke allegedly held up the company’s driveway permit in exchange for company doing business with his law firm.

• Burke allegedly told one of his ward employees in October 2017 to have the company’s remodeling work stopped “on the pretext that the restaurant did not possess all the necessary permits for the remodeling,” and obstructed the company’s efforts to get a driveway permit from Chicago’s Department of Transportation. Company officials flew to Chicago in December 2017 for a meeting that “focused on awarding tax work to Burke’s law firm.” Once Burke was assured his firm would get the work, he dropped his opposition to the driveway permit, the complaint alleges. The driveway permit was issued and company completed its remodeling project but did not hire Burke’s firm, according to the complaint.

•The complaint also accuses Burke of soliciting the company for a campaign contribution to another unnamed politician in exchange for his support.